US7301340B2 - Magnetic resonance imaging with histogram-based phase correction - Google Patents

Magnetic resonance imaging with histogram-based phase correction Download PDF

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Publication number
US7301340B2
US7301340B2 US10/553,327 US55332705A US7301340B2 US 7301340 B2 US7301340 B2 US 7301340B2 US 55332705 A US55332705 A US 55332705A US 7301340 B2 US7301340 B2 US 7301340B2
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complex image
phase correction
magnetic resonance
phase
distribution
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US20060197525A1 (en
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Wilhelmus Reinerius Maria Mens
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Koninklijke Philips NV
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Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
    • G01R33/00—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
    • G01R33/20—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables involving magnetic resonance
    • G01R33/44—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables involving magnetic resonance using nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR]
    • G01R33/48—NMR imaging systems
    • G01R33/54—Signal processing systems, e.g. using pulse sequences ; Generation or control of pulse sequences; Operator console
    • G01R33/56—Image enhancement or correction, e.g. subtraction or averaging techniques, e.g. improvement of signal-to-noise ratio and resolution
    • G01R33/565—Correction of image distortions, e.g. due to magnetic field inhomogeneities

Definitions

  • the invention pertains to a magnetic resonance imaging system which involves correction of phase values of the magnetic resonance image.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging with phase correction is known from the paper ‘ A new phase correction method in NMR imaging based on autocorrelation and histogram analysis ’ by C. B. Ahn and Z. H. Cho in IEEE Trans.MI 6(1987)32-36.
  • the known magnetic resonance imaging proposes to correct the phase of the complex valued pixels by first making an estimate of the first order phase error.
  • This first order phase error is the contribution to the phase error in a complex valued pixel that is linearly dependent on the position of the pixel in the complex image.
  • This first order phase error is calculated from the autocorrelation between adjacent pixels.
  • a first-order phase error corrected image is derived.
  • a histogram of phase values of the first-order phase error corrected image is formed. From the location of one peak in this histogram or of peaks being separated by 180° in this histogram, the zero-order phase error is estimated.
  • This zero-order phase error is the overall contribution that is independent of the position of the position of the pixel in the complex image.
  • An object of the invention is to provided an magnetic resonance imaging method in which phase errors having a complicated nature are corrected more accurately.
  • a magnetic resonance imaging method comprising a reconstruction unit arranged to
  • the phase correction is controlled on the basis of the distribution of the phase values of the complex image. It appears that the distribution of phase values is quite sensitive for the way the phase error depends on the position in the complex valued image. Consequently, the distribution of phase values is an accurate indicator for the kind of phase corrections to be effective and also for the accuracy of the result achieved by the phase correction actually applied.
  • the distribution of phase values in the complex image is represented by a histogram of phase values.
  • Generation of the histogram from the complex values of the pixels of the complex image requires very low computational effort and takes only a small memory capacity.
  • the features of the histogram appear to be very sensitive to the way the phase error varies over the complex valued image.
  • the features of the histogram also accurately indicate the accuracy achieved in correction of the phase error.
  • H denotes the histogram
  • h j is the number of phase-values in the j-th bin of the histogram H.
  • the histogram power function strongly emphasises histograms having a few strong peaks and returns low values for histograms having mainly broad features. Thus the histogram power function provides an effective test which indicates if the phase correction is accurate.
  • polynomial phase corrections are carried-out.
  • Such polynomial phase corrections require low computational effort and require only a short computation time. Accordingly, several polynomial phase corrections can be tried within a short time and for the respective phase corrections the histogram is constructed and the histogram power function is computed. Then, the most effective correction is selected on the basis of the minimum histogram power function value.
  • the respective polynomial phase corrections are easily effected just by adapting the polynomial coefficients of the polynomial phase corrections and re-iterating the phase correction with the adjusted polynomial coefficients.
  • the polynomial coefficients are adjusted so as to optimise the value of the test function of the histogram.
  • phase correction is adjusted by resetting the polynomial coefficients on the basis of a trial and improve algorithm so arrive at a set of polynomial coefficients that correspond to a phase distribution of which the test function of the histogram has it optimum value, notably the histogram power function, is minimum.
  • the corrected magnetic resonance image is practically void of artefacts caused by phase errors in the magnetic resonance signals. Accordingly, the corrected magnetic resonance image has a high diagnostic value in that the anatomy of the patient to be examined is imaged faithfully, even for small details with low contrast or low contrast-resolution.
  • FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of an implementation of the method of the invention
  • FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a magnetic resonance imaging system in which the invention is employed.
  • FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of an implementation of the method of the invention.
  • the magnetic resonance imaging method of the invention involves acquisition (mr-acq) of magnetic resonance signals. From the acquired magnetic resonance signals, the complex image is reconstructed (Im-recon). For individual complex valued pixels of the complex image, the phase is computed. Then the phase-values for the pixels are binned into th histogram. That is, phase-values in pre-determined phase-intervals, the bins, are counted and the numbers of phase values in respective bins form the histogram H. From the histogram the histogram power function
  • a polynomial phase correction is selected and applied to the complex image.
  • the histogram power function has its minimum value which indicates that the histogram contains a few strong peaks which indicates that the current phase correction is adequate.
  • a final phase correction can be performed on the basis of the histogram having the minimum histogram power function value.
  • the optional final phase correction may involve an accurate water-fat shift correction. This water-fat shift correction is based on the separation of two main peaks in the histogram.
  • FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a magnetic resonance imaging system in which the invention is employed.
  • the magnetic resonance imaging system includes a set of main coils 10 whereby the steady, uniform magnetic field is generated.
  • the main coils are constructed, for example in such a manner that they enclose a tunnel-shaped examination space. The patient to be examined is slid into this tunnel-shaped examination space.
  • the magnetic resonance imaging system also includes a number of gradient coils 11 , 12 whereby magnetic fields exhibiting spatial variations, notably in the form of temporary gradients in individual directions, are generated so as to be superposed on the uniform magnetic field.
  • the gradient coils 11 , 12 are connected to a controllable power supply unit 21 .
  • the gradient coils 11 , 12 are energised by application of an electric current by means of the power supply unit 21 .
  • the strength, direction and duration of the gradients are controlled by control of the power supply unit.
  • the magnetic resonance imaging system also includes transmission and receiving coils 13 , 16 for generating the RF excitation pulses and for picking up the magnetic resonance signals, respectively.
  • the transmission coil 13 is preferably constructed as a body coil 13 whereby (a part of) the object to be examined can be enclosed.
  • the body coil is usually arranged in the magnetic resonance imaging system in such a manner that the patient 30 to be examined is enclosed by the body coil 13 when he or she is arranged in the magnetic resonance imaging system.
  • the body coil 13 acts as a transmission antenna for the transmission of the RF excitation pulses and RF refocusing pulses.
  • the body coil 13 involves a spatially uniform intensity distribution of the transmitted RF pulses (RFS).
  • the same coil or antenna is usually used alternately as the transmission coil and the receiving coil.
  • the transmission and receiving coil is usually shaped as a coil, but other geometries where the transmission and receiving coil acts as a transmission and receiving antenna for RF electromagnetic signals are also feasible.
  • the transmission and receiving coil 13 is connected to an electronic transmission and receiving circuit 15 .
  • receiving coils 16 can be used as receiving coils. Such surface coils have a high sensitivity in a comparatively small volume.
  • the transmission coils such as the surface coils, are connected to a demodulator 24 and the received magnetic resonance signals (MS) are demodulated by means of the demodulator 24 .
  • the demodulated magnetic resonance signals (DMS) are applied to a reconstruction unit.
  • the receiving coil is connected to a preamplifier 23 .
  • the preamplifier 23 amplifies the RF resonance signal (MS) received by the receiving coil 16 and the amplified RF resonance signal is applied to a demodulator 24 .
  • the demodulator 24 demodulates the amplified RF resonance signal.
  • the demodulated resonance signal contains the actual information concerning the local spin densities in the part of the object to be imaged.
  • the transmission and receiving circuit 15 is connected to a modulator 22 .
  • the modulator 22 and the transmission and receiving circuit 15 activate the transmission coil 13 so as to transmit the RF excitation and refocusing pulses.
  • the reconstruction unit derives one or more image signals from the demodulated magnetic resonance signals (DMS), which image signals represent the image information of the imaged part of the object to be examined.
  • the reconstruction unit 25 in practice is constructed preferably as a digital image processing unit 25 which is programmed so as to derive from the demodulated magnetic resonance signals the image signals which represent the image information of the part of the object to be imaged.
  • the signal on the output of the reconstruction monitor 26 so that the monitor can display the magnetic resonance image. It is alternatively possible to store the signal from the reconstruction unit 25 in a buffer unit 27 while awaiting further processing.
  • the reconstruction unit of the magnetic resonance imaging system according to the invention is also provided with a processing unit, for example in the form of a computer which includes a (micro)processor.
  • the processing unit of the reconstruction unit is arranged to carry out the phase correction to the complex valued image on the basis of the distribution of phase values in the complex valued image, e.g. as represented by the histogram
  • the computer program according to the invention is loaded, for example, into the processing unit of the reconstruction unit 25 .

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
  • Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparatus (AREA)
US10/553,327 2003-04-14 2004-04-05 Magnetic resonance imaging with histogram-based phase correction Expired - Fee Related US7301340B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP03100997 2003-04-14
EP03100997.0 2003-04-14
PCT/IB2004/050394 WO2004090565A1 (fr) 2003-04-14 2004-04-05 Magnetic resonance imaging with histogram-based phase correction

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US20060197525A1 US20060197525A1 (en) 2006-09-07
US7301340B2 true US7301340B2 (en) 2007-11-27

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US (1) US7301340B2 (fr)
EP (1) EP1623246A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2006522638A (fr)
WO (1) WO2004090565A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090256565A1 (en) * 2008-04-10 2009-10-15 General Electric Company Method and system for reconstructing images

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013009652A1 (fr) * 2011-07-08 2013-01-17 Regents Of The University Of Minnesota Correction multi-étape pour artéfacts cohérents d'angle dans des ensembles de données d'image échantillonnée radiale
US9974608B2 (en) * 2013-08-27 2018-05-22 Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd. Determining absence of contact for a catheter
EP3599586B1 (fr) * 2018-07-24 2020-10-14 Siemens Healthcare GmbH Procédé et dispositif d'analyse d'images de résonance magnétique

Citations (9)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4760339A (en) 1985-12-23 1988-07-26 Hitachi, Ltd. NMR imaging method
EP1063532A2 (fr) 1999-06-24 2000-12-27 GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Ltd. Procédé et dispositif de mesure de l'inhomogénéité d'un champ magnétique, procédé et dispositif de correction de phase
US6249595B1 (en) * 1998-01-22 2001-06-19 General Electric Company Iterative reconstruction for EPI
US6307369B1 (en) * 2000-07-12 2001-10-23 Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research Autocorrection of 3D MR images for motion artifacts
US6411089B1 (en) * 2000-11-22 2002-06-25 Philips Medical Systems (Cleveland), Inc. Two-dimensional phase-conjugate symmetry reconstruction for 3d spin-warp, echo-planar and echo-volume magnetic resonance imaging
US6486667B1 (en) * 2000-03-31 2002-11-26 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Combination of fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery complex images acquired using magnetic resonance imaging
US6597172B2 (en) * 2000-01-27 2003-07-22 Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, Llc Water and fat separation image forming method, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, reference peak phase detecting method and reference peak position detecting method
US6841997B2 (en) * 2001-05-11 2005-01-11 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Magnetic resonance method and apparatus for generating respective images from spin ensembles exhibiting different chemical shift
US7068031B2 (en) * 2004-02-03 2006-06-27 Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, Llc MR imaging method and MRI system

Patent Citations (10)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4760339A (en) 1985-12-23 1988-07-26 Hitachi, Ltd. NMR imaging method
US6249595B1 (en) * 1998-01-22 2001-06-19 General Electric Company Iterative reconstruction for EPI
EP1063532A2 (fr) 1999-06-24 2000-12-27 GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Ltd. Procédé et dispositif de mesure de l'inhomogénéité d'un champ magnétique, procédé et dispositif de correction de phase
US6515476B1 (en) * 1999-06-24 2003-02-04 Ge Yokogawa Medical Systems, Limited Magnetic field inhomogeneity measurement method and apparatus, phase correction method and apparatus, and magnetic resonance imaging apparatus
US6597172B2 (en) * 2000-01-27 2003-07-22 Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, Llc Water and fat separation image forming method, magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, reference peak phase detecting method and reference peak position detecting method
US6486667B1 (en) * 2000-03-31 2002-11-26 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Combination of fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery complex images acquired using magnetic resonance imaging
US6307369B1 (en) * 2000-07-12 2001-10-23 Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research Autocorrection of 3D MR images for motion artifacts
US6411089B1 (en) * 2000-11-22 2002-06-25 Philips Medical Systems (Cleveland), Inc. Two-dimensional phase-conjugate symmetry reconstruction for 3d spin-warp, echo-planar and echo-volume magnetic resonance imaging
US6841997B2 (en) * 2001-05-11 2005-01-11 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Magnetic resonance method and apparatus for generating respective images from spin ensembles exhibiting different chemical shift
US7068031B2 (en) * 2004-02-03 2006-06-27 Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, Llc MR imaging method and MRI system

Non-Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Ahn, C.B., et al.; A New Phase Correction Method in NMR Imaging Based on Autocorrelation and Histogram Analysis; 1987; IEEE; MI-6(1)32-36.
Foxall, D.L., et al.; Rapid Iterative Reconstruction for Echo Planar Imaging; 1999; MRM; 42-541-547.
Liu, J., et al.; An Automatic Phase Correction Method in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging; 1990; J. of Magnetic Resonance; 86:593-604.

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090256565A1 (en) * 2008-04-10 2009-10-15 General Electric Company Method and system for reconstructing images
US7977943B2 (en) * 2008-04-10 2011-07-12 General Electric Company Method and system for reconstructing images

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EP1623246A1 (fr) 2006-02-08
JP2006522638A (ja) 2006-10-05
WO2004090565A1 (fr) 2004-10-21

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